Once
common, it's now pretty rare to see an all-aluminum extruded K8 heatsink on
store shelves. As consumers we've become accustomed to copper, heatpipes,
complicated arrays of punched sheet metal fins and exotically
designed thermal solutions. In the face of AMD's latest and greatest CPUs,
we often overlook the flurry
of 65W and 35W processors now being released. Though brand new, these ultra low
power environmentally friendly processors emit significantly less heat so generic extruded aluminum heatsinks are
one again satisfactory. Who'd have thought it?

Testing low power heatsinks is a bit challenging,
since Frostytech's K8 test gear is configured to a 125W
synthetic heat load. Given the range of heat outputs of AMD's
Athlon64 and Sempron processors, I suppose it is better to test for the
worst case scenario than not. The heatsink review should be an
interesting exercise; will a simple extruded aluminum heatsink like the Glacialtech Igloo 7222
Light hold its own?

Glacialtech are a Taiwanese thermal solutions manufacturer that has been in business since mid-2001. The company previously focused on OEM clients, but is now getting into retail and setting its sights on the likes of Thermaltake and Coolermaster. In fact, Glacialtech recently launched a line of specialized low profile aluminum chassis for ultra-quiet HTPC applications.

The Igloo
7222 Light heatsink is ideal for energy efficient Socket AM2 AMD
processors, or older socket 754/939/940 CPUs. Its 15x70x70mm fan operates
at a single speed, and is not temperature responsive. The Igloo 7222 Light has a nice tool free clip mechanism, making a reassuring positive "clip" as it locks down on the central lug of the AMD
heatsink retention frame. The unit ships with a pre-applied
patch of thermal compound, so installation is a breeze.

FrostyTech's Test Methodologies are outlined in detail
here if you care to know what equipment is
used, and the parameters under which the tests are conducted. Now let's move
forward and take a closer look at this heatsink, its acoustic characteristics,
and of course it performance in the thermal tests!

The Heatsink Fan: The 15x70x70mm fan spins at 2600RPM, drawing power
from a standard 3-pin motherboard fan header. It supports RPM monitoring but no PWM. The fan's nine-bladed
is not protected by a fan grill.

Heatsink Top: With the fan removed from the body
of the Glacialtech Igloo 7222 Light heatsink, it's obvious that this is a
very basic heatsink. The extruded fins are 0.6mm thick, and spaced 1.3mm apart. The steel clip fits
in between two spaces, so it does not prevent air from
flowing smoothly through the body of the heatsink (as a large
central clip body might).

Heatsink Side A:
Just 51.5mm tall, the
Glacialtech Igloo 7222 Light will accommodate a 2U server sized chassis. The clipping
system is tool free, and works off the central retention lug so both
AM2 and 939 motherboards are compatible. The outside of the extruded aluminum body is
scalloped, this improves grip and surface area to some extent. Inner fins are
smooth.

Heatsink Edge A: The
extruded aluminum base is just under 3mm thick, which is cutting it
kind of thin... until we consider the Integrated Heatspreader on all AMD processors does most
of the heatspreading. A thin base on a heatsink such as
the Igloo 7222 Light is sufficient. Note the tool free
clip, which in one operation clips and toggles down to apply clamping
force.

Heatsink Edge B:The extruded fins stand
30mm tall, and are closely packed. The fan screws directly into the aluminum heatsink, a
common attachment method for inexpensive thermal solutions. A plenum of 3mm
is created above the tips of the fins which vary in height.

Heatsink Base:The base of the Igloo 7222 Light
heatsink is machined with a obvious ridge over the entire surface. A patch of thermal compound
is applied by the manufacturer, and this works in conjunction with
the base surface finish. The entire aluminum base is 77x60mm in area. Surface roughness is
equivalent to ~125 microinches, which is satisfactory for this application.